In June Relationships Australia SA, with support from the Healing Foundation, Nunkuwarrin Yunti SA and Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM), hosted a Stolen Generations healing camp.
Stolen Generations members could relax, enjoy cultural activities, go for walks and yarn with others around the fire. There were presentations about the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the reparation scheme.
The camp was opened with a smoking ceremony followed by storytelling and yarning. Over the next few days participants took part in self-care sessions.
There were many positive stories to come out of the weekend.
One participant said that he didn’t like people touching his hands as “that’s how they used to drag us as kids to not good places” yet wanted to experience a hand massage.
One of the volunteers recalled that while massaging one woman’s feet as she talked to her friend, the woman shared that this was the first time she had engaged in and received a service for Stolen Generations. The friends agreed the camp was a defining weekend for both of them in terms of their identity and acceptance of being part of the Stolen Generations.
Many organisations came together to support the camp including Circle of Hope and South Australian Stolen Generations Aboriginal Corporation Inc. (SASGAC).
